There are numerous health problems associated with tobacco smoking. In addition to the presence of highly-addictive nicotine, tobacco products contain thousands of chemical compounds and additives, many of which are known carcinogens. In addition, tobacco smoke contains heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. Cadmium causes the depletion of zinc and Vitamin D and can also interfere with the metabolism of Vitamin D. In addition, the body stores cadmium in fat and may retain it for a substantial amount of time. Tobacco smoke also specifically contains carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, hydrogen cyanide and ammonia, all of which are toxic and/or carcinogenic to an individual. Tobacco smoking, and in particular cigarette smoking, is responsible for the majority of lung cancers and is also associated with cancers of the mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, uterine cervix, kidney, ureter, bladder and colon, as well as leukemia. In addition to the carcinogenic effects of tobacco smoking, such activity is believed to increase risk of cardiovascular diseases (including stroke), sudden death, cardiac arrest, peripheral vascular disease, and aortic aneurysm. Furthermore, many components of tobacco smoke have been characterized as ciliotoxic materials that irritate the lining of the respiratory system resulting in increased bronchial mucus secretion and chronic decreases in pulmonary and mucociliary function.
Smokers and non-smokers may also be exposed to environmental tobacco smoke, which is produced by inhalation of tobacco smoke by a smoker and then exhalation thereof into the environment (mainstream tobacco smoke) or emitted by a burning tobacco-containing product such as a cigarette (sidestream tobacco smoke). Whereas the chemical compositions of mainstream smoke and sidestream tobacco smoke are qualitatively similar since they are both derived from burning tobacco, there are some significant quantitative differences between the two types of smoke. In particular, since the smoker is actively inhaling from a tobacco-containing product during the initial generation of mainstream smoke, the temperature at which mainstream tobacco smoke is formed is much higher than the temperature at which sidestream tobacco smoke is formed. As a result, sidestream tobacco smoke which pervades the environment of a smoker contains larger quantities of many chemical compounds as compared to mainstream tobacco smoke, which suggests that sidestream smoke is even more carcinogenic than mainstream tobacco smoke. Thus, those exposed to environmental tobacco smoke are at considerable risk for health problems. Those exposed to environmental tobacco smoke include not only the smokers themselves, but also non-smokers in the general vicinity of smokers, in particular, children, spouses, other family members and friends of smokers.
In a tobacco product such as a cigarette, tobacco and its additives are not the only part of the product that carries dangerous chemicals. In particular, the paper used by cigarette manufacturers may be engineered to burn slowly. This can be accomplished, among other ways, by the addition of antimony to the paper. Whereas the addition of antimony makes the paper burn slowly, it could also places another toxic material, antimony, into the smoker's body and the environment.
In addition to the carcinogenic and other health problems described above that are associated with smoking tobacco, smoking tobacco also impacts the body's ability to function normally by interfering with important body resources. In particular, body substances such as, for example, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids, cofactors, precursors, neurotransmitters, cellular constituents, and the like are depleted, damaged, or interfered with in an individual directly as a result of smoking tobacco products and being exposed to environmental tobacco smoke. Such depletion of, damage of, or interference with vital body substances can result in a variety of health problems and/or increase the risk for the health problems described above for smokers and those exposed to environmental tobacco smoke.
Because of such health risks and problems for smokers and those exposed to environmental tobacco smoke, many individuals attempt to cease smoking tobacco or at least reduce the amount of tobacco smoked on a daily basis. For many reasons, reducing or ceasing smoking tobacco is a very difficult process. First, as noted above, nicotine is highly addictive. Individuals attempting to cease smoking tobacco often fail due to the nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms they experience. Second, many individuals are attracted to smoking tobacco by its taste, which has been described as somewhat bitter but pleasant. Much of the bitter taste comes from nicotine itself. However, additives including menthol and other flavors are included in tobacco products to enhance the taste of their product or appeal to the tastes of different individuals (e.g., those who prefer menthol cigarettes as opposed to regular ones). The ability to sense the bitter taste of nicotine as well as possibly the added taste enhancers in tobacco smoke are important components for the desire to smoke tobacco. Third, constantly drawing on willpower to reduce or cease what may be a long-term habit of smoking tobacco and experiencing nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms can create secondary problems related to smoking, such as an increase in stress and anxiety resulting in an increase in appetite. Such an increase in appetite can result in undesirable increases in body weight, which, in turn, can result in even more health problems as well as an unattractive change in the individual's appearance. The undesirable increases in body weight in itself can also have a detrimental effect on an individual's willpower to reduce or cease smoking tobacco. Each of these effects, any of the effects in combination, and especially all of the effects in combination, can be detrimental to an individual attempting to reduce or cease smoking tobacco.
Smoking cessation products have typically attempted to reduce nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms in several ways. One method has been the use of nicotine-containing substances such as transdermal patches or chewing gum which permit individuals to satisfy the body's cravings for nicotine without damaging their lungs by inhaling tobacco smoke. Whereas such products temporarily assist in reducing nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms, they do nothing to overcome an individual's addiction to nicotine since their effects cease once the patch is removed or the chewing gum is discarded. Such products also do nothing to address the other effects discussed above that are associated with reducing or ceasing smoking tobacco. Other smoking cessation products that do not use nicotine-containing substances include chemical substances that bind to specific cell receptor sites in the brain, thus preventing nicotine from binding to those cell receptor sites which assists in controlling nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Such products typically contain bivalent negative sulfur compounds such as alkyl sulfides, colloidal sulfur, hydropersulfides, organic thio compounds or their salts. Whereas such products may gradually assist in reducing nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms, they do nothing to overcome the other effects discussed above that are associated with reducing or ceasing smoking tobacco. Furthermore, none of the smoking cessation products noted above do anything to overcome the health problems due to environmental smoke, which affect both smokers and non-smokers in the general vicinity of smokers, in particular, children, spouses, other family members and friends of smokers.